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The Serbian remained on course for a record seventh title at the hard-court event in Florida with his triumph against lucky loser Carabelli.

“I’m honoured to have another milestone, another record broken,” Djokovic said. “There’s always something on the line, pretty much every time I play, and of course that motivates me to do well at tournaments.”

Djokovic raced to the first set and appeared to have taken complete control when he broke his opponent’s serve in the third game of the second. Yet the Argentine dug deep to immediately reclaim the break and held firm behind serve from then on to force a tie-break.

There was little Ugo Carabelli could do to cling on in the tie-break, however, as the 99-time tour-level titlist Djokovic raised his level to complete his one-hour, 45-minute win. The Serbian finished the match having won 80 percent (39/49) of points behind his first serve.

“I started off really well, 6-1, very similar to the first match two days ago," Djokovic said. "Things got complicated in the second. I broke his serve, he rebroke my serve, and then we were kind of going toe to toe. 

"I had some chances at 4-4 but I think it was fair to take the second set to a tie-break. Then, like two days ago, a perfect tie-break. Great serving when I needed to, and overall just pleased to get through.”

Djokovic arrived in Miami on a three-match losing streak, but the 37 year-old is yet to drop a set after two matches of his first Miami appearance since 2019. The timing of his return to winning ways could prove to be particularly convenient given Carlos Alcaraz's shock opening-round defeat to David Goffin: Djokovic and Alcaraz were seeded to meet in the quarter-finals at Hard Rock Stadium.

Regardless, Djokovic will next concentrate on his next opponent in Miami, Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian earlier overcame Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth round for the second consecutive year.

The World No. 16 Musetti earned back-to-back wins for only the second time this season by seeing off Auger-Aliassime after two hours and 26 minutes. He converted four of 14 break points he earned against the Canadian en route to his first Top 20 win since last October.